Sunday 12/9/2018 ... Comps / Bonus Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Requests Etc

[bmd1803]

Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The Calgary Flames face the near-impossible task of keeping Connor McDavid in check when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday for the latest installment of the Battle of Alberta. McDavid is riding a four-game point streak and has been kept off the scoresheet only four times in 28 contests this season.


The two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, McDavid is coming off his second four-point performance of the season - a one-goal, three-assist effort in Friday's 7-2 home triumph over Minnesota. The 21-year-old captain also is closing in on a pair of career milestones, as he needs six assists to reach 200 and four points to get to 300. Calgary will be putting a pair of streaks on the line after producing three unanswered goals in the third period en route to a 5-2 triumph over Nashville on Saturday. Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm and defenseman Oliver Kylington each recorded a goal and an assist for the Flames, who have won five in a row and earned points in seven straight (6-0-1).


TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet One


ABOUT THE FLAMES (19-9-2): Monahan has registered multi-point performances in three of his last four games, notching four goals and as many assists in that span. Lindholm has been even better of late, recording five straight two-point efforts during a six-game point streak during which he has collected five goals and six assists. Mike Smith likely will receive the night off against Edmonton after winning his sixth consecutive decision on Saturday.


ABOUT THE OILERS (15-12-2): Leon Draisaitl scored a pair of goals against the Wild to pull even with McDavid for the team lead with 15. The 23-year-old German had gone seven contests without a tally and is 10 goals away from the century mark for his career. Alex Chiasson is one goal shy of matching the career high of 13 he set with Dallas on 2013-14 after tallying on Saturday.


OVERTIME


1. Oilers LW Jujhar Khaira is riding a four-game point streak during which he has collected a goal and four assists.


2. Kylington's points on Saturday were his first in seven career NHL contests.


3. Edmonton LW Milan Lucic has registered only four points - all assists - in his last 28 games after scoring a goal and setting up another in the season opener.


PREDICTION: Oilers 5, Flames 3

 

[bmd1803]

New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The New Jersey Devils began changing the script to their season on a California trip and look to make it two straight victories to start it off when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Devils, who wrap up the trek Monday in San Jose, won the first four games of the season before losing 17 of their next 22 (5-12-5), but put their best foot forward with a 6-3 win at Los Angeles on Thursday.


"It's a fresh start," New Jersey's Kyle Palmieri told reporters after scoring twice in Thursday's triumph. "You can't worry about our road record (3-10-1), and you can't worry about what happened in October and November. It's about what we're doing now, and it's something to build off of, for sure." The Devils had dropped six straight (0-3-3) before recording their highest total of goals since beating Washington 6-0 in the second game of the season on Oct. 11, while the Ducks saw their five-game winning streak come to an end Friday with a 4-1 setback against Carolina. Anaheim registered just 19 shots without second-leading scorer Rickard Rakell (lower body) after scoring 10 times in its previous two contests. "It was one of those games where nothing we seemed to try to do had any effect on it, any positive effect," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle told reporters. "It was all frustration and lack of ability to execute."


TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)


ABOUT THE DEVILS (10-12-5): Palmieri's two goals pushed his team-high total to 14 and matched the amount he produced in his previous 13 contests while leading scorer Taylor Hall (30 points) set up three tallies on Thursday. Nico Hischier may be breaking out of his slump as he has recorded two goals and as many assists in his last four games, while Travis Zajac has scored twice in the same span. New Jersey hopes its power play is beginning to perk up, as it has converted twice in the last three games after managing just one goal in the previous 12 contests.


ABOUT THE DUCKS (15-11-5): Rakell is questionable for Sunday's contest and captain Ryan Getzlaf (team-best 22 points) hopes to get rolling again after being kept off the scoresheet in each of the last two games. Adam Henrique (six goals, 11 assists) saw his six-game point streak end on Friday, but Jakob Silfverberg scored for the second straight contest to reach the 100-goal mark for his career. Hampus Lindholm leads the team's defensemen in points (14) while blue-liner Jake Dotchin notched his first point with the team on Friday.


OVERTIME


1. The Ducks have won seven of the last nine meetings with the Devils but has split each of the last two season series.


2. Hall, who is one goal shy of 200 for his career, has notched 11 points in his last eight contests.


3. Anaheim signed GM Bob Murray on Saturday to a two-year contract extension through the 2021-22 season.


PREDICTION: Devils 3, Ducks 2

 

[bmd1803]

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The Montreal Canadiens have answered their longest losing streak of the season with three wins in four contests and look to continue moving forward when they visit the slumping Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. The Canadiens ended last month with five straight defeats before knocking off the New York Rangers to start December and responded to a loss to San Jose by sweeping a home-and-home set with Ottawa.


"For the most part, we had a pretty complete game, and it's nice when everyone contributes," Montreal right wing Brendan Gallagher told reporters after Thursday's 5-2 win at Ottawa. "We're trying to get on a bit of a win streak and pick up some points. We knew we had some time off after this one, so we put a lot of emphasis on these two games and we got it done." The Canadiens snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series in their last meeting with Chicago, which has dropped six straight contests overall - allowing 30 goals in that span. The Blackhawks netted three consecutive tallies to take a lead at Vegas on Thursday but gave up two in a 12-second span to cough it up and suffered a 4-3 setback. "Anytime you're in a slump, whether it's as a player or as a team, it's hard to get out of it," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews told reporters. "It's a mental thing. You've just got to find a way to relax and stay with your process when things are going well and when you're in control of the game."


TV: 6 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, RDS (Montreal), NBCS Chicago


ABOUT THE CANADIENS (14-10-5): Jonathan Drouin has recorded one goal, five assists and a plus-5 rating during his four-game point streak and has collected 26 points overall - four fewer than linemate Max Domi for the team lead. Gallagher has scored in back-to-back games to tie Domi for first on the club with 13 goals while Paul Byron has notched four points in as many contests since returning from injured reserve. Jeff Petry has scored two of his four goals in the last three games and fellow defenseman Shea Weber has recorded four points in his first five contests of the season following knee surgery.


ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (9-16-5): Not much has been going right for Chicago over the past few weeks, but Dylan Strome has recorded three goals and an assist in six games since being acquired from Arizona. Toews has scored two goals in his last three games to tie for the team lead of 13 with Patrick Kane, who has managed just one in his last 14 contests but tops the Blackhawks with 32 points - including seven in his last seven matches. Connor Murphy (back) has been activated and could make his season debut Sunday while fellow defenseman Gustav Forsling (shoulder) was placed on IR.


OVERTIME


1. Toews needs two points to reach 700 for his career and Chicago D Brent Seabrook is two goals away from 100.


2. Montreal G Carey Price has won three of his last four games overall but is 3-5-0 lifetime against the Blackhawks.


3. Chicago C Artem Anisimov has recorded three of his six goals on the season in his last five contests.


PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Blackhawks 3

 

[bmd1803]

Boston Bruins vs. Ottawa Senators Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The Boston Bruins ended their three-game slide with authority last time out and look to make it back-to-back wins on Sunday, when they visit the Ottawa Senators. Boston began the month with three straight losses before registering a 6-3 home victory over Toronto on Saturday.


Defenseman Torey Krug scored his first goal of the season and set up two others for the Bruins, who netted a total of four tallies during their losing streak. Boston received offensive contributions from unlikely sources as all six of its goal scorers have fewer than five thus far this campaign. Ottawa avoided a third straight setback on Saturday as it edged Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime for its fifth win in seven home contests. Mark Stone set up both goals for the Senators, including Ryan Dzingel's power-play tally at 1:20 of the extra session, to forge a tie with Matt Duchene for the team lead with 34 points.


TV: 5 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa)


ABOUT THE BRUINS (15-10-4): Gemel Smith made his team debut on Saturday, registering two shots and a minus-1 rating in 11 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time. The 24-year-old forward was claimed off waivers from Dallas on Thursday after recording two goals and one assist in 14 contests. David Pastrnak, who leads the team with 34 points, has posted back-to-back two-point performances and collected three goals and six assists over his last eight games.


ABOUT THE SENATORS (13-14-3): Ottawa figures to be without two of its better goal scorers for a while as Duchene (groin) and Bobby Ryan (concussion) were placed on injured reserve prior to Saturday's win. Duchene, who is tied with Dzingel for second on the team with 12 goals, is expected to miss several weeks while no timetable has been announced for Ryan. Defenseman Thomas Chabot, who already has set career highs in assists (25) and points (33), is one goal shy of matching the personal best of nine he recorded as a rookie last season.


OVERTIME


1. Bruins LW Brad Marchand collected three assists on Saturday but has scored just one goal in his last 12 games.


2. Ottawa recalled rugged LW Nick Paul, who received less than 4 1/2 minutes of ice time on Saturday, from Belleville of the American Hockey League.


3. Boston LW Jake DeBrusk (undisclosed) is expected to miss his second straight game Sunday and is day-to-day.


PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Senators 1

 

[bmd1803]

Vancouver Canucks vs. St. Louis Blues Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The St. Louis Blues look to follow up one of their best defensive efforts of the season and win back-to-back games for the first time in a month when they host the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday afternoon. The Blues gave up eight goals to Winnipeg on Nov. 24 and turned the tables Friday with a 1-0 victory over the Jets as Jake Allen stopped all 26 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.


"Something we want to take pride in is being a good defensive group, and we weren't happy with what happened at home last game (against the Jets)," St. Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo told reporters. "Guys stepped up and made hard plays in hard areas." The Blues have climbed out of last place in the Central Division by going 3-3-1 in their last seven contests, and Allen told reporters "every game is a playoff game," while Vancouver is 2-10-2 after a promising 10-6-1 start to the campaign. However, the Canucks may have created a spark Thursday by knocking off Nashville 5-3, with five different players scoring as the team ended its four-game losing streak. "I think we played good some games that we lost," Vancouver rookie Elias Pettersson told reporters. "It's good to finally be rewarded, get some bounces with us. We played really good (Thursday). This is what it's going to take from us to be successful. Hopefully, we can build on this."


TV: 3 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), FS Midwest (St. Louis)


ABOUT THE CANUCKS (12-16-3): Pettersson scored his team-leading 14th goal on a penalty shot Thursday and has recorded four points in his last four games to give him 25 in his first 25 NHL contests. Bo Horvat tops the team with 27 points after registering a pair of goals and three assists over his last four games while defenseman Alex Edler has netted his first two tallies of the season in the same span. If Vancouver is going to make a run, it will have to improve on the power play as it is just 2-for-20 over its last seven contests.


ABOUT THE BLUES (10-13-4): Colton Parayko scored the only goal in Friday's win and has recorded two in his last four games while captain and fellow defenseman Alex Pietrangelo may need surgery on his hand after missing the past three contests. Ryan O'Reilly leads the team in goals (12) and points (28) while Vladimir Tarasenko is next with 20 but has been kept off the scoresheet in three consecutive games. Allen has allowed four goals in his last three starts and has helped by a penalty-killing unit that is 11-for-11 in the team's last two contests.


OVERTIME


1. The Blues have won five in a row and eight of their last nine meetings with the Canucks.


2. Vancouver LW Loui Eriksson snapped his 10-game point drought with a goal on Thursday.


3. St. Louis C Tyler Bozak has gone 16 contests without a goal and 10 without a point.


PREDICTION: Blues 4, Canucks 3

 

[bmd1803]

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets Preview and Predictions 2018-12-09
NHL PREDICTIONS 9TH DECEMBER 2018 BY GRACENOTE


The Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a two-goal, first-period deficit to record a 6-2 victory over Buffalo in the opener of their five-game road trip and face a quick turnaround as they begin a stretch of four contests in Western Canada on Sunday afternoon against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets saw their season-high four-game winning streak come to an end with Friday's 1-0 home loss to St. Louis in which their third-ranked power play went 0-for-6.


"We're going to throw a goose egg up every once in a while," Jets captain Blake Wheeler told reporters. "It's our job, especially in a close game, to come through there, (but we) weren't able to do it." Wheeler, who had his six-game point streak (one goal, nine assists) snapped by the Blues, ranks among the league leaders with 32 assists. Captain Claude Giroux moved ahead of Sean Couturier for the team lead in goals when he scored his 11th of the season on Saturday, and he added three assists as the Flyers netted six unanswered tallies against the Sabres. "He did a (heck) of a job," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol told reporters. "He's our captain and stepped up and led the way in a lot of different fashions."


TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia Plus, TSN3, TVA (Winnipeg)


ABOUT THE FLYERS (12-12-3): Giroux is riding a four-game point streak during which he has recorded three goals and five assists. James van Riemsdyk played his first game alongside Giroux on the top line Saturday, and Hakstol's decision paid immediate dividends as the left wing registered a goal and an assist - his first points since Nov. 17. Defenseman Ivan Provorov scored his third goal of the season - and first in 14 games - on Saturday after recording 17 last campaign.


ABOUT THE JETS (17-9-2): Patrick Laine, who is tied for second in the NHL with 21 goals, has been kept off the scoresheet in his last four games after collecting 13 tallies and one assist in his previous seven. The only puck to get past Connor Hellebuyck on Friday deflected off teammate Bryan Little as the goaltender surrendered just one goal for a second straight game after giving up 12 in his previous three starts. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (concussion) was activated from injured reserve prior to Friday's game and received a team-high 28 minutes, 56 seconds of ice time.


OVERTIME


1. Philadelphia is just two points ahead of last-place New Jersey in the crowded Eastern Conference and six out of the second wild-card spot.


2. Winnipeg D Josh Morrissey (lower body) is expected to return to the lineup Sunday after a two-game absence.


3. Flyers G Michal Neuvirth (lower body) is expected to get the start on Sunday after surrendering six goals on 22 shots against the New York Islanders in his only other appearance this season.


PREDICTION: Jets 4, Flyers 2